Job Discussion Forums

revilo · Joined: 05 Oct 2013 Posts: 181 Location: Mos Eisley

I hve a profile on Bayt.com and I keep it current.
There is also a feature where you can get the range of salaries for a certain country and find out the average salary. As I recall, the avg. salary in KSA was around $3200. Of course, the range went higher & lower depending on qualifications, years experience, etc.
I only have 1.5 years experience in that area, but I'd like to know from the vets if this is trustworthy data. I don't want to lowball my own salary since I'm talking to a recruiter.

johnslat · Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:56 pm Post subject:

Dear revilo,

I'd say that the "average" is closer to $4000 these days, maybe even a little above.
But with only 1.5. years experience (you don't mention your qualifications, BA, MA, Celta, etc.), you'd probably have some difficulty reaching the "average."

Regards,
John

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

revilo · Joined: 05 Oct 2013 Posts: 181 Location: Mos Eisley

I have 1.5 years of experience in the Middle East. I have 12 + years experience teaching, including China and U.S.
My quals are MA in TESOL, BA English, adult ed credential in ESL, CELTA cert. some publishing in IATEFL, and PRC Foreign expert cert.
whew!

Given the fact that Saudi recruiters will not go to bat for higher salaries for their employees, does that mean UK or American recruiters are more trustworthy? Ed Ex is the proverbial exception..... Confused

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

If your total years of teaching ESOL is 12+ and you have relevant academic credentials, why are you even bothering with recruiters that work for Saudi contracting companies? Go for direct-hire opportunities and your pay and bennies will be better. Seriously, this is a no-brainer unless your age or something in your experience or... is an issue.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Exactly... with your credentials, forget these websites. No decent university level employer will ever go there looking for teachers. Go directly to university websites around the Gulf and apply for direct hire. Nearly all have online applications these days.

Going to a recruiter only means that you are handing him a big slice of your salary. Why would one ever want to do that?

VS

pooroldedgar · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 181

Is simply emailing lots and lots of universities directly a viable way to find a good job? I'm interested in spending to more years in the Gulf and really just want to make as much as possible. I have seven years experience, and will be finishing my MATESOL sometime this year. I'm currently doing my first Gulf stint in Oman.

With that, should I just start going through every single school's webpage? Honestly, I've never really known how to find jobs. And the stuff advertised doesn't really seem worth it

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Plan to attend TESOL Arabia (http://tesolarabia.org/conference/).
There's also a related thread about this year's upcoming conference/job fair (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=105121).

revilo · Joined: 05 Oct 2013 Posts: 181 Location: Mos Eisley

OK, the theory of "direct hires always make more $$" does not hold in the case of Al Khaleej. When I was at Qassim, one of the teachers requested a meeting with the dean of Ed. Services. He was the great and powerful wizard who could grant the direct hire.

They went through the usual formalities of working in Saudi Arabia and how great the students were ( Laughing

) and then the discussion turned to $$$. The amounts were less than what the contracted employees were getting. At this point, this teacher said, "Thank you for your time, dean, it was great having this discussion with you. Good luck on continued success with the university."
This teacher stayed with the company and, to my knowledge, he's still there working for Al Khaleej.

This does not mean AK is a great company to work for. They put teachers in a hotel next to a prayer tower and that prayer call was the 1st thing to wake them up in the morning (it also influenced my decision to leave the company). You pays your $$ and you takes your chances. I took my chance by leaving. Rolling Eyes

lcanupp1964 · Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381

With respect to the last post, it almost sounds like it was written by a recruiter. Very Happy

It is a complete no-brainer. Go direct hire if you can. There are always one, or two rare cases that a person can pull out of their butts, but (ha) if one plays the odds, direct hires will always come out on top.